IN THE RUNNING

Report: Trump Considering Huntsman for Deputy State Role

Previously called on Trump to drop out after Billy Bush tapes.

President Donald Trump is considering former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman for deputy secretary of state, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. Huntsman, previously Utah's governor and ambassador to China under Barack Obama, would become Rex Tillerson's second-in-command. Trump reportedly considered former deputy national security advisor Elliot Abrams for the role, until it was revealed that the candidacy was nixed over Abrams having staunchly opposed Trump’s candidacy. Huntsman initially endorsed Trump during the election, then walked back his endorsement after the Washington Post released audio in which Trump boasted to Billy Bush about sexually assaulting women. “In a campaign cycle that has been nothing but a race to the bottom—at such a critical moment for our nation—and with so many who have tried to be respectful of a record primary vote, the time has come for Governor Pence to lead the ticket,” Huntsman told the Salt Lake Tribune after the tape was released in October. Huntsman, a billionaire himself, has since praised Trump as a “classic deal-maker” after the election.